How To Win At Casino Video Poker

To the untrained eye, a video poker cabinet looks exactly like a standard, luck-based slot machine.


If played with absolutely perfect strategy, certain video poker variations offer some of the highest payout percentages in the entire casino.

How to Identify a Winning Video Poker Machine

The casino adjusts its house edge entirely by changing the payouts for specific hands, usually the Full House and the Flush.


The gold standard for beginners is the classic 'Jacks or Better' variation, specifically the '9/6' paytable.

Always play 'Max Coins' (usually 5 coins); the payout for a Royal Flush jumps exponentially when playing the maximum betIf you cannot afford to play 5 coins at the $1 level, drop down to the $0.25 level so you can afford the maximum betNever sit down at a '6/5' Jacks or Better machine; the casino has increased its edge dramatically to steal your money
Using a Basic Strategy Card

Once you find a 9/6 machine, you must play every single hand with mathematical perfection to actually achieve that 99.54% return.


Casinos legally allow you to hold a printed strategy chart in your hand while playing video poker; they do not consider it cheating.

The Hand DealtThe 'Gut' DecisionThe Perfect Math DecisionHigh Pair + 4 to a FlushKeep the guaranteed PairDiscard the pair, draw for the Flush3 to a Royal FlushKeep the high cardsKeep the 3 Royal cards, discard the rest

Leave the flashy, high-variance slot machines to the tourists, and grind out the video poker machines like a professional.